Debates of March 30, 2004 (day 11)

Thank you, Mr. Speaker. A few days ago in this Assembly, we learned that Cabinet has approved the forgiveness of $800,000 in taxpayers’ money due to a business deal that we went into not working out. Even though we had adequate protection for the taxpayers’ money, Cabinet made a decision to forego it. In more recent days, we learned that a major policy of this government, the business incentive policy, was dodged in favour of an assumption that only a southern product could be brought into the North on an economic basis. The signals that our government is sending to the business community, Mr. Speaker, are very confusing. They are destabilizing, inconsistent and, above all, they lack what is very important to any government, and that is good faith and integrity.

We are partners. We espouse this. We have fostered this attitude, but we are not living up to it. We are putting to the test the faith and the trust of our partners in the business community by such inconsistent application of our policies. Mr. Speaker, our economy, the way we manage it, is evolving, and so should our policies and the way we conduct business ourselves. We need to be open and transparent in the way we do this. We need to make sure that our rules and our principles are out there all the time for everyone to see and that we live up to them. The business community asks for nothing more than a level playing field, and we are not delivering. Where are the rules? The message that we are sending is that the exception is the rule, and that is unacceptable. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.

---Applause